Andrew Schiff: Ending hunger in Rhode Island

By Andrew Schiff

Friday

Sep 9, 2016 at 5:42 PMSep 9, 2016 at 5:42 PM

The fear of going hungry has eased in Rhode Island. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recently reported that the state’s food insecurity rate dropped to 11.8 percent, the lowest level since the recession. We should applaud this achievement because fewer Rhode Islanders are at risk for hunger and more families are able to meet their basic food needs.

These gains could be interpreted as another sign of an improving economy, except other statistics indicate the recovery has not reached families on the lower rungs of the economic ladder. Poverty, the root cause of hunger, has grown dramatically in Rhode Island since the Great Recession. The most recent Census Bureau data show the poverty rate in Rhode Island reaching 14.2 percent (during 2010 through 2014), up from 11.6 percent (during 2005 through 2009), an increase of about 25,500 people.

Government help is the real driving force behind the decline in food insecurity. The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the cornerstone of government efforts to reduce hunger. Today in Rhode Island, 100,050 households receive SNAP benefits, as compared to 39,550 in 2008.

Along with SNAP, higher participation in other programs is also helping. The number of children receiving school breakfasts has steadily grown in Rhode Island. Successful outreach efforts have boosted participation in the Summer Food Service Program, bringing more children to parks and recreation sites for free meals. Practical, hands-on nutrition education programs that utilize affordable, healthy recipes to teach families how to stretch SNAP benefits have also proven effective at reducing food insecurity.

A major limitation of SNAP is that the benefits have not kept up with the real cost of food. In Rhode Island, the average SNAP benefit is $234 per household per month. Families receive their allocation on the first of the month and use it up quickly. Because SNAP benefits fall short, lines are long at emergency food pantries at the end of each month.

Until Congress raises SNAP benefit levels, the high demand for emergency food assistance will continue. Meeting the need is a challenge, because donations from supermarkets have decreased by two million pounds since 2008. The food industry now uses more sophisticated inventory controls, which means less surplus food becomes available for donation.

To make up the difference, the Food Bank must purchase food from wholesalers. Fortunately, the Fiscal Year 2017 Rhode Island budget includes a line-item of $175,000 for the Food Bank to acquire 525,000 pounds of food (three pounds for every state dollar). However, even with this state funding, there is still a significant gap to be filled through the support of generous individuals, businesses and foundations.

In the coming year, Rhode Island’s new director of food strategy, Sue AnderBois, will produce a food plan for the state. Because ending hunger in Rhode Island is now a realistic goal, the plight of those citizens who remain food-insecure should be a priority for this new plan.

And we know what to do: prevent hunger by maximizing existing federal programs, promote nutrition education and strengthen the emergency food safety net. Making good food available to all Rhode Islanders is an investment that will pay off in better health outcomes and educational achievement. Let’s do it now.

Andrew Schiff is chief executive officer of the Rhode Island Community Food Bank.

Never miss a story

Choose the plan that's right for you.
Digital access or digital and print delivery.